Crossing Paths
by ExellentlyEllen
Summary: It still baffles her, her attendance at this event. But when not one but two of your friends sends you an invite, it was really hard to refuse. Veronica, Felicity and Rory commiserate over coffee...


**Don't ask. Seriously.. I can't explain... I was just thinking about the 3 OTP's I write fiction for, and how much they actually have in common... so I did this.. **

**Read and review please!**

* * *

She hates these kinds of parties. Really hates them with a burning passion. As she looks around the room, trying to find a familiar face in the crowd, she almost face-palms herself. How she ever thought she could cut it in the world of corporate law was beyond her. A shudder went through her at the thought of having to go through these kinds of stuffy events on a more frequent basis. One more thing she should be grateful for to her already over-confident boyfriend. Not that she was inclined to ever tell him that. His ego was big enough as it was already. It still baffles her, her attendance at this event. But when not one but two of your friends sends you an invite, it was really hard to refuse.

* * *

The first invite had come two days after Logan had come back from wherever the hell he had been. It was forwarded by Piz, with a 'gentle' reminder that she should really let the post office know her forwarding address. It was a very beautiful pearl-gloss invite, with a postmark from Starling City. She smiled to herself when she opened it up, because Starling City could only mean one thing. Felicity Smoak. They had met when Veronica was interning at the QC legal department in her final year of Columbia. The work there had been brain-numbingly boring, but then she met Felicity. They had instantly connected. Veronica at first drawn to the other woman's looks. The blond hair, blue eyes, bubbly personality. It reminded her so much of Lilly, it ached a little. But Felicity turned out to be so far away from Lilly, but a good friend none the less. One with freakishly little free time (which Veronica didn't mind, because you know, _Law school_). Felicity had been in need for a girlfriend to talk to about _stuff_, like the hate-hate relationship with Ms Rochev (or Bitchev, as she'd nicknamed Isabel) or the not-so-secret crush on Oliver Queen.

So, during the time Veronica was at QC, they'd bonded over Chinese take-out and shared troubles. They'd kept in touch over the years, visiting each other when circumstances would allow. Veronica might not have a lot of friends, but she knew she had one in Felicity Smoak.

The second invite came about a week later, same white pearl-gloss envelope, different postmark. Hartford Connecticut. The accompanying note had made her smile.

_Dear Veronica,_

_I know you don't really do these kinds of things,  
but it would mean the world to me if you could make it.  
We haven't seen each other in forever, and I would love to  
'share' Logans._

_Please come!_

_Rory_

Veronica chuckled out loud when she read the 'my Logan' comment. When she'd met Rory, she was a freshman at Columbia University, just starting her law degree, and Rory had been a writer for the New York Chronicle, doing a story about the course load at University graduate programs. Veronica had made some sarcastic obscure pop-culture reference (that usually nobody got), and Rory had started laughing. The mood had been set. They'd spend hours discussing old music and new TV-shows. Rory helped Veronica with a paper she had to write, and Veronica in her turn showed Rory some tricks-of-the-trade when it came to intel gathering. They commiserated about 'the one that got away', in their case, both Logans (thankfully not the same one). When Rory had gotten back together with _her Logan_, Veronica had been happy. And a little jealous. And when Veronica had told Rory she was moving back to Neptune, to be with _her Logan_, Rory had been ecstatic. They'd been planning to get together and do some sort of double date thing, but those were delayed until Logan returned from deployment.

* * *

Apparently that day now had come. Because if 2 of your closes friends ask you to come to an event, how in the world could she refuse it. Right?!

So here they were, dressed to the nines at some fancy Starling City party. Veronica felt a little uncomfortable in the iris-blue dress, with the sweetheart neckline and the cute capped sleeves. Logan approved of the dress though, because it had taken Veronica 25 minutes to convince him to go to the lobby and into a cab. She still didn't totally understand what the party was really about. It seemed very illogical to her that a tech-company such as Queen Consolidated would work together with a publishing company like HPG for a project. She reminded herself to ask later, either Felicity or Rory must know the tale behind the collaboration.

Thinking about her friends appeared to have magically conjured them into existence, because she spotted the two standing a few feet away from two of the most important (and youngest) CEO's in the USA today. Hesitant to go over there to disturb them she waved a little wave in their direction. When both of them waved back, they looked at each other in wonder. Yes, because the world was really this small, that two of her friends (who she met separately, in different parts of the country, at different times) unknowingly invited her to the same party, thrown by their boss/fiancé, on the opposite coast. They motioned for her to come to them, and she pulled Logan with her by his sleeve.

"Boy Veronica, it seems like you get around." Felicity said while hugging the tiny blonde. She promptly turned crimson and turned to Logan. "Oh god! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded, I swear. It's just that I know her, and it turns out Rory knows her, but we didn't know each other before this. And so we didn't know that we shared a friend, and now I'm going to stop babbling."

Felicity closed her mouth, took two deep and steadying breaths and held out her hand towards Logan. "Felicity Smoak, head of special projects at Queen Consolidated. Nice to finally meet you." Rory and Veronica struggled to keep their faces straight at the sight of bafflement that was on Logan's face. "Logan. Nice to meet you to. I must say, I don't think I've ever heard somebody say so many words in so little time." Logan shook her hand, and Felicity turned red once again. She opened her mouth to apologize again, but Logan beat her to it. "Can you teach me?" he asked, his eyebrows waggling comically. Rory and Veronica couldn't keep their laughter in anymore, and were soon joined by Logan and Felicity themselves.

After about half an hour, Oliver Queen strolled over to their little group, looking every bit like the confident businessman he'd become. The way he looked at Felicity, the way he put his hand on the small of her back, caught Veronica's eye. But neither Oliver nor Felicity seemed to notice. "Felicity, it's about time for the speeches." He whispered in her ear, and Veronica noticed the shiver that ran through her friend's body. "_There is something going on there_ " she thought to herself, making a mental note to ask about that later. Felicity paled a little, she was never such a great public speaker. But she shrugged anyway. She was the partner to a vigilante for god's sake. She helped take down Malcolm Merlyn (both times) and she single handedly took down Slade (the first time). She was the mastermind behind the plan to defeat Ra's Al Ghul. She could handle one stupid little speech about a project she designed. Of course she could.

"Okay Oliver, I'll be over in a minute. But this is my friend Veronica and her" she cocked her head to the side a little and studied the couple carefully "boyfriend, Logan." The way she said 'boyfriend' had Veronica worried for a minute. And also, that word didn't even begin to cover the bond between Logan and her. To her, it just didn't need a ring to prove it.

Oliver shook both of their hands and led Felicity away for the speeches. Rory had also moved to the front of the room, in support of her fiancé. The speeches lasted about 30 minutes, during which time Veronica finally learned why a tech-company and a publishing conglomerate were collaborating on something. Apparently HPG had decided to expand their hold on the media by inventing a new kind of device to read newspapers and other media. They'd started looking for a company to help them build said device. And because Logan and Oliver apparently knew each other (Oliver had briefly attended Yale at the same time as Logan), QC had been contacted.

_"__I guess it's true what they say"_ Veronica thought, _"nepotism does rule the world, and not just Neptune."_

* * *

After the obligatory handshakes and mingling, Felicity convinced Rory and Veronica to blow that popsicle joint and head somewhere they could catch up. The boys had also taken a liking to each other, and had subtly retired to go fill themselves up with the 'good' whiskey. Given their mutual love for coffee, Felicity showed the others to her favorite coffee place, 'Basic Beanz'. When they ordered, they sat down at a table in the quiet corner of the shop.

"Okay, first of, is every Logan out there a handsome billionaire? Because I've met 2 recently, and I've got to say.. wowze." Felicity said as soon as they sat down. Rory and Veronica looked at each other and started laughing. Rory was to first to be able to speak. "Please, don't tell them that. Those egos are also included in the deal. Can't have a Logan, without the ego, right Vee?" Veronica, who'd just taken a sip of her coffee, nodded in agreement.

"But, enough about Logans, what about that Oliver. What's going on between the two of you?" Veronica countered, looking at the other blonde expectantly. A bright red blush crept up Felicity's face and couldn't help the high pitch her voice took. "What?! Oliver and me? Are you crazy Vee? There's nothing going on between him and me." But even to her own ears that sounded unconvincing. Just one look at her two companions told her they didn't believe her either. She sighed and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, looking for support in the heat of the beverage.

"He told me he loved me." She whispered, and when she looked up again she saw confusion and worry on the other women's faces. "A few years back, when the Blood Army thing happened. He told me to hide out in his mother's house, and because I wouldn't stay put, he told me he loved me. I was so stunned at that moment, I couldn't move anymore." Felicity took a sip of her coffee, trying to organize her mind. She wanted so much to tell her friends the whole story, but that just wasn't a possibility. She opted for a version that might not be totally true in words, but certainly was in sentiment.

"Immediately after, I gave him the chance to back out of it. He didn't. Not really anyway. After that, nothing for months. He was dealing with the loss of his company, and we were working together to try and get it back. But he never breathed a word about it anymore. Until this one night, we were working on something and he turned to me and asked me out." Veronica jumped at that. "_What_? You mean to say that you've been dating Oliver Queen for the better part of 3 years and you never once mentioned it to me?" She shook her head in disbelief. It's not like she shared every secret she had with Felicity, but _dating Oliver Queen_ wasn't something minor.

Felicity held out her hand, to stop Veronica from talking more. "No Vee, you know you'd be the first I'd call if that ever happens. We went out on _a_ date. Singular, well, not even that. More like half a date. Before we even ordered our food, some crazy dude shot up the place with a bazooka. Oliver decided after that that it was too dangerous for us to be dating. Somebody's always out to get Oliver Queen, and he figured I'd be an easy target." The sorrow that shone through in Felicity's voice wasn't diluted. Both of her companions could hear the hurt and sadness that still lingered after all those years. "When our friend Digg's baby was born, he told me again he loved me, and kissed me and told me we couldn't be together. And I told him I wasn't going to put my life on hold anymore."

Rory's hand came up to cover Felicity's, an oddly comforting gesture, coming from a girl she didn't even know 6 months before. "I dated somebody else after that. But, it was making him miserable, and in turn, making me miserable. I couldn't do that to Ray, so I ended it. There hasn't been anybody since, because I know I'm not getting over Oliver, there's no way."

Veronica took Felicity's other hand. She could relate. After all, she'd spent the better part of 9 years trying to get over 'epic'. "So what's with the touching and the whispering and the looks?" Rory asked. Felicity shrugged. "We know each other too well. Worked together for so long, it's hard not to fall into certain habits. I do think we've been finding our way to each other. Oliver isn't the same guy he was 3 years ago, but I think we both need to be sure if we start something. Because there's only one shot left."

She took another sip of her (now to cool) coffee, and straightened her back. "Enough about me. What about you Mars? You leave your internship here to go shack up with that floppy haired guy, and here you are, with 'the Ex' again. How did that happen?"

Veronica sighed. It wasn't the first time she was telling this story, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But this was Felicity, and she didn't want to be vague. "Piz. His name was Piz. And yes, I was going to move in with him when I got back to NYC." Veronica started toying with the sugar packet that was on the table. "You remember I told you a little something about Neptune?" Both other girls nodded, each having heard some tidbits about Veronica's home town. "Well, I left there because that place was toxic to teenage Veronica. The PI thing, I loved it, but it wasn't _good_ for me. I got into so much trouble over those 3 years since Lilly. Logan's dad trying to kill me, the bus crash, Cassidy" Veronica's voice faltered a little at mentioning his name. "and Logan. He beat up the son of a Russian mobster for me. If I stayed there, we'd keep on floating in that same boat. The push-pull, the danger, the anger, the violence. And one day, it was going to get one or both of us killed. So when Stanford accepted me, I jumped at the chance." She took a breath before continuing. "If I said I left it all behind without a second glance, I'd be lying. I thought about Logan almost every day of those 9 years. But I was determined to keep away, to let us both have our own life. And meanwhile, we both got our shit together. So when he called after this whole mess with Carrie Bishop" upon the confused looks of the others, she amended "Bonnie Deville. It was like going back into time, and at the same time totally different. He still looked like my Logan. But he acted so differently. He came to pick me up at the airport in his dress whites for Christ's sake. Can you even imagine how hot that was?"

Al three went a little quiet, each of them picturing Logan in his dress whites. "Anyway. He was different. More focused, controlled. And I was different. Not so reckless, more open. But the pull was still there. And it's like you said Fie, it's our last chance to get it right. And I really feel like it is this time."

They sat there for a little while, ordering some more coffee. And then Veronica turned to Rory. "So, what about you? What's your long lost Logan story?" Rory smiled. Her Logan story, might not have the same drama the others, but it was hers anyway. "Well Vee, it's nothing like your 9 years apart, bur for me 4 was more than enough. We actually ran into each other at a party thrown by a friend of mine." She turned to Veronica. "You've met her, Paris? Short, rude, bossy?" Veronica tried to put a face with the name. "Ah yes, you brought her into Joe's one night. She's funny when she's drunk. And even more rude, if that's even possible." Rory nodded and turned towards Felicity. "I'll have you meet her someday, she's really something."

"Anyway, it was her engagement party, and apparently her fiancé had invited Logan without her knowing. She almost called off the wedding because of that. I didn't even see him there and all of a sudden he was standing in front of me, holding out a cup. We fell into some light banter, traded some insults. I think I reminded him about the time I called him a buttfaced miscreant. And we went out for coffee. And dinner. And before either of us was really aware, we were dating again. We hashed out the past. The *I'm sorry's* and the pain. It wasn't easy, but we got through it. And when he proposed this time, I didn't even hesitate. Even my mom was happy."

Suddenly, Felicity's phone started ringing. The name on the display read 'Roy', and she hurried to pick it up. One sided conversations had always bothered Veronica, because she was somebody who always wanted the whole picture. She strained to hear the other side of the line, more out of habit than anything else. "Uhu - … - I see, did you try… - … - Okay, how about.. - …. – No, don't! I'll figure it out when I get there - … - sure, just keep him calm - … - bye" She hung up the phone and turned to her friends, an apology clear on her face. "I have to go. Um.. work emergency. I will totally call you both later!"

* * *

It was about 6 months later when they all got together again, this time in a small but quirky town in northern Connecticut, for the nuptials of one Lorelai Leigh Gilmore and Logan Elias Huntzberger. Felicity and Oliver (who had finally gotten his head out of his ass) and Veronica and Logan stayed at a wonderful little inn, owned and operated by Lorelai Gilmore, clearly Rory's mother in every way possible. The wedding was small and sweet and personal and very Rory. It was so nice, it even made Veronica forget for a while, that she didn't like weddings.

Over the years there were several occasions they got together for. Birthdays, births and after about 2 years, another wedding. Felicity and Oliver's wedding was even smaller than Rory's had been. But it was perfect in its simplicity. They looked happy, and that was all that mattered.

Nobody was invited to the final wedding. Veronica and Logan tied the knot with only 4 people present. Her father, her two best friends and his best friend. But when they met up for their annual weekend in NYC, everybody was ecstatic about it. It didn't matter how many people saw the wedding, it was about the sentiment behind it.

2 chance friendships, formed during the 'lost years' had led to a lot of happy memories, and a lot of shared secrets. Felicity and Oliver never mentioned their 'Green arrow' business. But Veronica was a detective. It's what she did best. But she never said she knew. It didn't matter after all, the way you go about fighting injustice. As long as it is fought.


End file.
